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I'm one of the few that broke free from Microsoft after 15 years of use.

October 2012: I made up my mind that I didn't need Microsoft anymore

your life mirrors mine... long ago at a previous job I had a windows desktop and the hard drive failed. Part of my job was administering unix and linux servers, and a colleague used linux as his desktop. I decided to start making the switch so when I rebuilt the computer it was dual boot and I was determined to try and not need linux. Since then, Windows is something I only boot out of necessity. Since then it's become easier and easier to live with linux as your only desktop OS.

You're seeing something different than me then. I find that most Linux users use Windows 99% of the time and simply keep Linux around for bragging rights. Most of them aren't serious about Open Source at all. They've used Windows all their life, so Microsoft's goal of locking them in is complete. I'm one of the few that broke free from Microsoft after 15 years of use.

October 2012: I made up my mind that I didn't need Microsoft anymore. After years of tinkering with Linux, like many still do, I found that it had become a real alternative to Windows. I just didn't want to deal with Virus and Malware anymore and I was tired of feeling like I was being "watched". In 2013 I found that I wasn't insane and has every right to think I was being watched as the truth came out about the NSA and backdoors in Windows.

My switch was like Smoking, it was simply an addiction. Before I switched I checked my Hardware and found replacements for my Software; switching was a piece of cake after that. After a full install I installed the GPU driver, which was simple point and click, and I was finished. After I installed Software via the Ubuntu Software Center I felt right at home, and Steam was right around the corner; what an excellent time to switch from Windows.

The problem? I'm in the minority. Most people are too addicted and afraid of change to switch from Windows. Even if there was proof of a Back door or something that put users at serious risk; people still wouldn't switch. What you see now is what it will always be unless OEMs install Linux by default, the only way to make people switch is by force and I welcome that day. My 60 year old Mother now uses Linux, if she can do it, anyone can. No more redundant excuses, no more rationalizing.

As for ReactOS, there just isn't a need for it anymore. While I was still using Windows I thought I would use it if it was completed, but now that I use Linux, I see no real need for it. But more power to them, it's a nice experiment.

While I said I don't hate Windows, that doesn't mean I use it very often. I've gone into the Windows partition on my HDD about 10 times in 2013, none of the trips lasting more than a couple hours.
I simply enjoy Linux so much more. Especially with Cinnamon as a DE. Before it was announced, I had a choice of DE's I wasn't particularly fond of... I've since come to terms with all of the DEs I've ever tried, but Cinnamon continues to simply be my favorite.

ReactOS is definitely one of the more "doing this for fun" "experiments", but I can definitely see real-world benefits from having an Open-Source Windows XP/7 compatible OS out there while we're trying to push the benefits of Linux.